Alone In the Universe
by Shikata ga nai
Summary: 2+1. Heero has yet another amazing talent--singing. Nobody knows about it...except for Duo, and he fears for his life if the Stoic One ever finds out his secret isn't such a secret after all. Shounen ai rears its braided head and Wufei gets nosy.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing or the song _Alone in the Universe,_ by David Usher. I am making no money off of this.

A/N: This IS a yaoi story (boy-boy love). 1x2, to be precise. If you have a problem with that fact, please do not trouble yourself with telling me so. I don't care. You've had fair warning. I'm not planning any lemons for this, at least nothing explicit. Oh, and there might be some Relena-bashing. Actually, scratch that; there will almost certainly be Relena-bashing. Don't flame me about that, either. If you're still with me, enjoy! And please review. I'll love you forever and ever if you do. 

~*~

Alone In the Universe

__

So hungry…food…

Duo rolled out of bed, somehow landing on his feet on the floor. He made his way slowly towards the door of his room, still surrounded by a haze of sleepiness. His hair stood up in a halo around his head where it had escaped from his braid while he slept.

As he made his way down the stairs, he kept himself awake by picturing the gigantic sandwich he was going to make himself. _Turkey, ham, lettuce, tomato, pickles…_ He stopped suddenly on the last step, his foot frozen above the floor. What was that noise?

It was coming from the direction of the kitchen. He instantly snapped to attention, reaching for his gun. The tiniest click could be heard as he switched off the safety. He controlled his breathing and stalked silently towards the kitchen door, which was only slightly ajar. He stopped to listen.

__

Jamie's on the bathroom floor, she don't know why

She's shaking underneath the sink, can't feel a thing

She'd love to live a life, she's too afraid of failure

With all the voices in her head

Now what was that I thought I heard you scream?

Duo frowned and stared at the door. _What the hell? Is that singing?_ He'd thought he was the only one home.

Slowly he crept forward until he could see through the crack in the door. He saw a glimpse of green standing next to the stove and his eyebrows shot up into his hairline. _Heero? Why is Heero singing? Why is Heero _home_? _he thought. 

__

I know you can feel it

You're already there

Asleep underwater,

Just screaming for air

I know you can feel it

You're already...

Don't you know we're freaks and creatures?

Wake up I can almost see the light

I think we're alone here, you and I

I think we're alone, left wondering why

I think we're alone here, you and I

I think we're alone in the universe tonight…

Duo remained crouched behind the door for a minute. This was weird. He didn't know Heero could, or did, sing. _Well,_ he reasoned, _he probably only does it when he's totally alone. _He remembered that Trowa, Wufei and Quatre had taken the van to go get groceries. Duo had stayed home to sleep off a headache. He'd thought Heero had gone with the others. Obviously Heero thought that Duo was gone, too.

The smell of eggs frying wafted out towards him, and he felt his stomach growl. He suppressed a sigh. He knew he couldn't get his sandwich now. If he went in the kitchen, Heero would most likely kill him. Duo didn't feel like being killed just then; his head still ached. He thought of leaving to go out and work in the garage until the other pilots came home, but he found himself riveted to the spot, listening to Heero's singing.

__

He's really good, Duo thought. He could feel himself being carried away on the soul and feeling resonating from the pilot's voice. Suddenly he came back to reality: he was crouched on the floor behind the kitchen door with a gun cradled against his chest, and any second Heero could whip the door open and break every bone in his body. A snapping noise (probably eggs cracking) from inside the offending room echoed his thoughts. Duo was out the front door of the safehouse like a shot, making a beeline for the garage as he tucked his gun away.

***

Finally the other three pilots came home, laden with groceries. Duo washed up quickly at a small sink in the garage and came out to meet them.

"Let me take that," he said quickly as he stole several bags from Trowa.

"Okay…" Trowa said slowly, staring at Duo suspiciously.

They walked in the house to find Heero working at his laptop in the living room.

"Hi, Heero! How are you?" Quatre chirped with a big smile on his face.

Heero looked up at Quatre for a second before focusing on his screen again. "Hn."

Duo sighed. "So talkative."

Quatre fixed his attention on the long-haired American boy. "Duo. How are you feeling? Is your headache gone?"

Duo swallowed and shot a quick glance at Heero, who appeared not to be listening. "S'fine," he mumbled. "It, ah, I think getting out of the house for a while helped. I feel better now."

Quatre smiled again and turned away to start putting away the groceries. Granted his escape, Duo exhaled silently in relief. _That was close._ He hated lying. _Well, it wasn't really a lie, now was it?_ This was good enough for him, and he began to whistle as he helped put away the food.

*

Little did he know Wufei had been watching. He had caught Duo's glance towards Heero, and seen his expression as he tried to make up a lie. Wufei sneered. _You're trying to hide something, Maxwell. You are so transparent. But don't worry your tiny little head about it, I'll figure out what's going on here…_

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A/N: Well, how's that for a start? Not too bad for my first GW fic. I'm not really sure where this is going yet, although I do have some idea. If I get enough reviews, (like 5), I'll post the next chapter. Or maybe I'll post it anyway. I'm so decisive. o.O


	2. Chapter 2

DISLCAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing, or anything else except a crappy computer with MS Word. I am not making any money off of this, and I should be packing for my camping trip right now…

A/N: This one is dedicated to Dare, Tenshi Eleison, Kyo, and Ham for being the first to review. I hope you like it.

~*~

Chapter 2

A few days later Duo was sitting at the kitchen table across from Heero, who was reading the paper as he ate his cereal. Wufei sat to Duo's left, contemplating his toast and green tea. Trowa and Quatre weren't up yet. Duo had a sneaking suspicion that the one was in the other's room, but decided not to pursue that thought, at least not for the moment.

Instead he sat there, discreetly studying the 01 pilot over his own cereal and toast. He hadn't heard Heero sing again since the other day, and was beginning to wonder if he hadn't dreamed the whole thing in his headache-induced semi-coma. The aggressively non-vocal Heero Yuy sitting in front of him, blandly reading the newspaper, just did not mesh with the haunted, soulful voice he'd heard wafting through the crack in the doorway.

Duo shook his head lightly and went back to his food. It was all in his head. 

*

__

Rapunzel-boy sure seems to be staring at Yuy a lot, Wufei thought as he sipped his tea. He winced inwardly. It was hot.

__

What happened the other day? Did they get in a fight? He dismissed that thought as quickly as it came. Nothing in the house was broken, and Heero broke things when he was pissed off. Nor was Duo visibly hurt, so Heero couldn't have beaten him up. _Maxwell would never have a chance in the ring with Yuy. He would be black and blue if they'd fought._

Then it came to him. Obviously the two of them had been home alone, and either Duo did something he wouldn't want anyone else to know about, and thought Heero knew about it; or he'd seen Heero doing something unusual and didn't want to be dismembered for it. 

Temporarily satisfied, Wufei went back to sipping his tea. He would investigate this mystery some more later.

*

Trowa finally came downstairs for breakfast, wearing grey slacks and a black sweater under his characteristic pointy bangs. He was followed five minutes later by Quatre, in a white shirt and khakis.

Heero glanced up at them briefly in greeting before going back to the terrorism story he was reading. _Those two aren't fooling anybody._ The expressions on their faces when they looked at each other were enough damning evidence, never mind the fact that Quatre made sure he was never more than three feet away from Trowa if he could help it. 

Heero really didn't care. He was thankful, though, that they didn't parade around the house locked in each other's arms or sit on their lovers' laps all the time or anything. The safehouse was too small for that. He pictured Wufei's reaction if the two pilots acted openly gay. _A lot of Nataku this and dishonour that._ Heero took a bite of cereal. He hated Wufei's speeches. _Doesn't everybody?_

Suddenly he felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Somebody was staring at him. He looked up quickly but discreetly, his penetrating gaze roving around the table. Trowa and Quatre had just sat down, and were talking animatedly over their breakfast. Wufei was calmly sipping his tea, staring at a point in front of him, obviously lost in thought. Duo was busy wolfing down his third bowl of cereal, his eyes fixed on his spoon. 

__

I'm losing it, Heero thought as he went back to his paper. _Been cooped up in this house too damn long._

As if he could hear Heero's thoughts, Quatre suddenly spoke up. "Oh, Heero, I just remembered. Miss Relena called last night after you went to bed. She has a new beachfront condo or something and invited you out for the weekend. She wants your answer by tomorrow."

Heero's insides were in turmoil. Relena Peacecraft had been pursuing him ever since they'd met. The last time he'd encountered her she had actually tried to get him into bed, unsuccessfully. The thought of a whole weekend with her made his stomach turn. But this was an opportunity to get out of the house for a while. 

"Are all of us invited?" He asked Quatre.

"I don't know. She didn't specifically say…"

Here was a way out of the imminent and obvious danger. "All right, call her back for me and tell her we'll all go." And with that he went back to his cereal. _At least I'll have these guys to fall back on if she tries to make a move._

*

Duo winced. Now he had to spend two days with Relena. The bitch. He could see where Heero was coming from; he'd been within hearing range when she tried to get in Heero's pants the last time they were together. At least he hoped that Heero didn't like Relena. Maybe he was just trying to be nice and let the other pilots get out of the safehouse for a vacation, too.

__

As long as I don't have to see her, I don't care if they stay together all weekend. But somewhere deep inside Duo was feeling the opposite. He excused himself from the table and went upstairs to be alone and think.

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A/N: That took a while. Excuses include camping and birthday partying. (Yay, I'm 16.) The next chapter just might go somewhere. There is an official Relena warning in place for the next two chapters, but a SWAT team is in place to combat the menace. (I REALLY don't like Relena…)


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing.

A/N: Thanks, lots of clapping and excesses of candy go to: DarkStar02, chichi, 1x2 fan, sapphire, Amalthaea, ForeordainedDestiny (fellow Relena-not-liker), Tenshi Eleison (the 2nd time!! I love you! *glomps*), and dark-chan (your English is a lot better than any of my second languages. ^.~), as well as all that reviewed before and were previously mentioned. On with it.

~*~

Chapter 3

Heero looked up at the house looming over him as he got out of the van. A darker shadow than usual fell over his features. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping into Hell. Then a smile crept across his face, the kind that scared small children. _Hell, huh? I shouldn't be scared. I think I feel right at home._

His face hardened to a stony mask and he pulled his bag out of the van, determined to live out the weekend without killing Relena, however satisfying that might be.

*

Duo nearly fell out of the passenger seat onto the concrete driveway. He'd spent most of the two-hour trip asleep. 

He gazed groggily up at the house. _Condo, my ass._ It more closely resembled a mansion. He was (almost) inexplicably reminded of old haunted houses in horror movies. While he stood there imagining ghosts floating out of doors and windows, the front door opened and the ghastliest creature of all came running down the driveway towards them: Relena.

She looked almost as annoying as his last memory of her. The stupid, inappropriately innocent braids in her hair swung rhythmically as she trotted towards the group, attaching herself to Heero's arm and looking like she planned to spend the whole weekend there. 

"Hi, everybody," she said, hardly sparing four of them a glance. "Get your bags and I'll take you to your rooms."

*

Quatre frowned as he quietly followed Relena down the hallway. The walls were paneled with dark wood, hung with paintings every few feet. His footsteps were noiseless on the plush red carpet. His was the last room to be found, and he felt like they were going a long way down the hall. _I hope I can still find Trowa's room,_ he thought apprehensively. _I think I'm lost…_

"Here we are." Relena opened a door in front of them; identical to all the rest they'd passed. The bedroom inside was white and breezy, the salt smell of the ocean drifting through the gauzy curtains to tickle Quatre's face. 

"Thank you." He turned around and beamed at Relena as he set his bag on the bed. She smiled broadly and shut the door with a soft click. Humming carried down the hallway behind her.

Quatre exhaled loudly as he unpacked. He had an hour before dinner to go find Trowa without looking too suspicious. He changed his shirt and walked as quickly as he could back down the hallway where he'd come, counting doors as he went.

__

Where is he? He practically screeched to a stop on the carpet when he heard a door open behind him. He turned around, his face a guarded, emotionless mask, but the sight of the person standing before him shattered it without a second thought. "Trowa!" He raced forward and hugged his lover. "I missed you!"

"I was only gone for half an hour." Trowa's voice was amused and warm as he returned the embrace.

"I don't care. I still missed you."

The 03 pilot's face broke into a huge smirk. "There's still a while left before we have to be to dinner…"

Quatre's grin lit up his face as they shut the bedroom door behind them.

***

Dinner was hell, or at least Duo thought so. The meat was chewy and the conversation was, well, it wasn't conversation, whatever it was. The whole meal had consisted of Relena chattering away at Heero about nothing of any great consequence or intelligence as she sat about two inches away from him. Wufei had stared at a blank spot on the wall as he chewed his broccoli. Duo thought he looked like a daydreaming cow, but wasn't about to say so with so many sharp utensils within reach.

Quatre and Trowa had simply sat across from each other, having what looked like a staring contest. Halfway through the soup Duo had noticed that Quatre's shirt was inside out and Trowa's hair was parted on the wrong side. The ensuing thoughts and mental pictures had been enough to keep him staring at his food for most of the meal.

"Weirdness," he muttered out loud. He was walking down the beach in the moonlight, the wind tugging at his braid playfully as he stopped to take in the ocean scene. _Only two more days of this,_ he thought. Saturday and then Sunday, when they would finally go home. He cast his eyes heavenward, a tiny groan escaping his lips. _Give me strength…_

Suddenly he froze. Duo had good hearing, and his ears had just picked up a sound different from the calm rush of the waves against the beach. _I thought I was the only one out here…_ He moved towards the source of the sound, finally stopping some hundred metres away from it and leaning against a rock, cautiously. All of his instincts were screaming at him to be silent. Then he heard it clearly, carrying towards him on the salty breeze.

__

Alex on the last train home from god knows where

A million miles away from where he thought he'd be

He's got his suit, his tie, his drink, his MTV

He's trading all his life away

You can't escape we're all infected now

I know you can feel it

You're already there

Asleep underwater

Just screaming for air

I know you can feel it

You're already...

Don't you know we're freaks and creatures?

Wake up, I can almost see the light…

It was singing. And the lyrics and voice sounded very familiar. Peeking out from behind his rock, Duo saw a Japanese boy perched on top of his own huge boulder, several metres out and surrounded by water. He was singing quite loudly, obviously thinking he was safely alone. For a full two minutes Duo felt bad for spying like this. Then he decided Heero needed some company, mostly because if he had to stand there any longer listening to that spine-chillingly beautiful voice, he was going to go crazy.

He crept up the beach well into the rocky part, beyond where he could hear Heero, before coming back as loudly as he could. He whistled for extra effect. In the distance he could see Heero's silhouette freeze and turn around to watch him. Duo stopped at the water's edge to take off his clothes (he was wearing his swimming trunks underneath) and waded in without hesitation.

When he was submerged up to his chest, he allowed himself a quiet curse at the cold water and then plunged in to swim to the rock. He climbed out of the water, wrung out his braid quickly, and scaled the rock to plop down next to Heero. He sucked in air through his teeth as the chill wind hit his wet skin, but tried not to show it.

There were a few minutes of silence before Heero spoke up. "Why are you here?"

"I was walking along the beach, coming to take a swim, and I saw you and decided to come say hi." Duo was glad for the darkness to hide his red face. _At least I'm getting better at half-truths,_ he thought with chagrin.

"Thanks, but I didn't need the company."

Now Duo was pissed. "Right, because everybody who sits on a rock halfway out to sea in the middle of the night with his chin on his knees doesn't need a little company." He instantly felt sorry for lashing out, but was a teeny bit amused to see Heero suddenly change positions.

"If I apologize for being rude will you go away?" The moonlight glinted in the Japanese pilot's eyes as he spoke.

"If you don't apologize I can guarantee I'll never leave at all," Duo countered.

Heero smirked. "Then I'm profusely sorry."

Silence fell again on the pair. The wind picked up and Duo's goosebumps were getting goosebumps. 

"You're freezing. Go back inside, you baka."

"I'm fine." Now Duo was lying outright, and his chattering teeth weren't helping.

Heero looked directly at him, and Duo felt his heart leap unexpectedly into his throat under the other boy's penetrating gaze. "You're a horrible liar. Get back in the house before you get pneumonia."

Duo wilted. "All right, all right. Are you sure you're fine?"

Heero rolled his eyes. "No, I think I'll cry my eyes out on your shoulder while you put my hair up in pigtails."

A grin crept across the Shinigami's face. "I don't think I have any extra hair elastics, but I could paint your toenails." A muscular, tanned arm reached out and pushed him into the water. When his almost-dry skin touched the cold waves again Duo let out a whoop to hide the discomfort and swam slowly back to shore, his long, smooth strokes cutting through the water before him.

As he threw his clothes on and trudged back up the beach, he thought he could hear the faint strain of singing wafting up to him on the salt breeze. He shivered, but it may or may not have been from the cold.

That night he dreamt he was a sailor on a ship headed for a bright little island in the middle of a deep, dark ocean, where Sirens sang their sweet, seductive song on the beach.

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A/N: Well, that's the end of that one, then. I got stuck in the middle of the chapter and it took a while to get unstuck. FYI, if you didn't know, Sirens are creatures from Greek mythology. They sat on their island and sang beautiful songs for sailors, who would come closer and then crash in the rocks around the beach. Or the Sirens ate them. I can't remember which anymore. ^^; Anyway, please review! And read The God of Death, my new GW short story.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: Insert disclaimer here. I own nothing, or I'd be rich. 

A/N: Blessings, long-distance air kisses and imaginary prizes go to: sapphire (2nd review, all hail), Hakumei, Silent Shimegami (thank you), Maxwell's Gal Mooshooes, and CSMars (after I posted it I remembered, but by then I was feeling too lazy to change it. Thanks so much for noticing!). 

This story's ending is now in sight!! It's not going to be as long as I thought, a total of 6 chapters at the maximum. I love getting reviews almost more than anything else in the universe, and I'm very happy and in the mood for writing after I get them. So please review lots! Good or bad I can take it all. With the exception of angry religious fanaticism. Please keep your beliefs to yourself. I don't force mine on you. Ahem. On with it.

****This chapter's been reposted because I edited it slightly. 'My girlfriend' has become 'Relena.' Thanks to everyone who berated me about that. I reread that part and scratched my head, too. Still don't know exactly what I was thinking. ^.~ Sorry for the confusion. Next chapter up soon!

~*~

Chapter 4

Duo woke up the next morning shivering under the blankets. He stumbled out of bed to close the window, the wind blowing curtains and raindrops in his face. _Rain… _He opened his eyes all the way and sighed at the grey, washed-out scenery before him. Duo hated rain. It was so dreary and depressing. He hated being depressed. Being furiously happy and mischievous all the time meant he didn't have time to be sad, which happened to him a lot when he stopped to think about his life.

He trudged dejectedly downstairs to the dining room for breakfast, noting that Wufei was the only one who looked up to acknowledge his existence. Quatre and Trowa were talking over their bacon and eggs while Relena chattered happily away at Heero. Duo tried not to show his surprise at seeing Heero actually _talking back _to her, at least as much as Heero could ever be expected to speak.

He also tried to hide the jealousy, which didn't work quite as well. _Why do I care? _He wondered. _And am I jealous of _Heero_ or _Relena_? _He was quite sure he'd never want to be in Heero's current position, no matter what the payoff, and it would be a cold day in Hell before he'd admit to envying Relena, that bitch…

He sat down at the table with his first helping of eggs while Wufei continued to watch him. "What do you want?!" he finally snapped.

Wufei blinked. "Whoa, Maxwell. Excuse me for living." He went back to sipping his tea placidly and Duo wanted to smack him. Instead he concentrated on breathing deeply and plastered a fake smile on his face. _Why the hell do I feel so miserable today?_

He got through three helpings of breakfast and walked quickly out of the room. _I need a nap._ He was halfway down the hall to his room when Relena ran up behind him, Heero nowhere in sight.

"Duo!" Her annoying voice carried towards him and he stopped in his tracks. She came up to stand in front of him, blocking his escape to his room. "Hello, Duo."

"Relena." He nodded curtly at her in greeting and tried to sidestep by her. She blocked his path. He met her eyes with obvious displeasure in his. "What would you like?" He was grating his teeth privately. _Give me a fucking break, all I want is some sleep…_

Her face wore an unpleasant smirk, her nose pointing snobbishly upwards. "What is there between you and Heero?" she asked bluntly.

His voice came out sounding remarkably normal. He looked behind him. "I'd say probably about two floors, maybe two hundred yards in total. I can't be sure because he might be moving. You know, to get away from you."

She sniffed. Apparently she didn't think it was funny. "You know what I mean," she said darkly. 

"No, actually, I don't."

"Oh, give me a break. I've seen the way you look at him. _Your_ feelings are written all over your face. It's his I don't know about." She frowned. "If it wasn't for you I'd have him by now. It's your fault if you're keeping Heero from me. And if I find out about anything…unholy…going on here, you'll all be going home for good. Horrible manners in someone else's house."

__

Am I dreaming? Duo couldn't believe he was having this conversation. She thought he and Heero might be…that they were actually…he couldn't restrain the blush creeping across his tanned face. And here she was, talking about manners! What business was it of hers? Not that Duo really felt that way. Not about Heero. That would just be weird. Unholy? He would bet the farm that Relena's plans for Heero if she got him were anything but holy. 

"Is that a threat or a promise? There's nothing between us, and I really don't think you have a snowball's chance in hell of getting inside his pants anyway. Just give it up!" Duo could feel his temples starting to throb. He turned around and walked back the way he had come, into the living room where the rest of the pilots were.

Relena was not far behind, and she had lost all pretense of manners and maturity. "You are really pathetic, you know that?" she said loudly. "At least I _have_ a chance. Is it a secret, Duo? Do you think you can hide it? I'll tell everybody. You won't be getting anywhere near…"

"Shut up! Just. Shut. Up. I've had it. I'm out of here. I hope I never have the misfortune of seeing you again, Peacecraft. Or maybe it'll be your misfortune if I see you, because if I do, I'll kill you." With that, Duo pushed past her into the front entrance, grabbing his hat and shoving it on his head before turning back to face the five people staring at him. He raised an arm in salute. "Farewell, Relena. 'Til we meet again, the God of Death will wait. Kiss, kiss." The door slammed behind him as he walked outside into the rain.

*

The four boys sitting in the living room stared at the door in numb shock, the slam still ringing in their ears.

Heero blinked a few times and shook his head. He knew that Duo and Relena didn't like each other, but this was a bit of a surprise. Outright yelling, blackmail and death threats were new as far as the situation went. He looked sharply at Relena's retreating back as she headed towards the bathroom. What had she done to get Duo so angry? It didn't take a big stretch of the imagination to see that she was probably responsible for the whole fight. Duo was smart enough not to start a fight with her, although apparently he could finish them.

Now he felt guilty. This was his fault. If he hadn't agreed to bring the rest of the pilots with him this weekend, it wouldn't have happened. He looked between the door and the bathroom, wondering whom to comfort. The gaze of the other three pilots bored into him. They were waiting to see what he would do now. _But I don't _know_ who to go to. Why am I always supposed to have all the answers? Do I choose my comrade or Relena? _

As he sat there switching helplessly between the two parties, Heero suddenly realized he knew very well where his loyalties lie.

He grabbed a coat before he walked outside into the pouring rain.

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A/N: Aww, kawaii. Heero's going after Duo. This will probably be six chapters, as a part I was going to put in here is now going in the next chapter. Is Relena a bitch or what? Anyway, please review and go read my other stories while I write the next bit. Jaa.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing. Sad face.

A/N: Thanks and chocolate gundams to noodlepower, Relwarc, Nanashi, crazy one, lexington, Lilly, Secret Phreak, Squirreligog (that's a tempting thought…), Lexxy, x2Angelofdeath, Koia (I fixed it, gomen), and Loz (It's here! It's finally here!) for reviewing. Whew. That's a lot. ^^ On with it.

~*~

Chapter 5

Duo slammed the heavy front door behind him and took off at a dead run through the pouring rain. He just ran and ran for God knew how long before finally slowing down to a stop, panting. The house was nowhere in sight. All he saw was a lonely, weathered fishing boat pulled up above the tide line. The whole world was a bleary grey, like a badly erased pencil mark blotched across the page. _No idea where I'm going, but it must be better than where I'm coming from._

With a shrug he started walking. He was soaked to the skin, rivulets of water running from his hair and dripping from the brim of his cap. His nose felt like ice and a headache was forming. He'd felt like shit for a few days, and now it was trying to manifest itself into the flu or something. _Even my own body is trying to go against me…_

He trudged along, head down, hands in pockets, staring at his sand-caked boots. His troubled thoughts kept him company as he went. It was plain now even to him that he had feelings for Heero. _Just screwed up all my chances, though. I can't believe Relena could be so cruel…Never mind, yes I can, _he smirked twistedly to himself. 

It was probably useless anyway. Probably Heero was perfectly straight and in love with Relena. _Caught in her snare… _Probably. 

Duo started running again. The beach and the slate grey ocean and the rocks blurred together like a runny watercolour as he ran. There was rain in his eyes. Yes, of course it was rain. 

Suddenly he was facedown in the sand, all the wind knocked out of him. He picked his head up wearily, spitting grains of it out of his mouth. He'd tripped over a small rock jutting out of the ground. Slowly, shakily, he pushed up onto his hands. He was negotiating to get a leg underneath himself when a wave of dizziness knocked him flat. He sprawled on his back, heedless of the rain driving like needles into the exposed skin. 

"Uhn…" he groaned. His head felt like it was trying to float away from his body. _Where…why am I…what…_His thoughts sailed fuzzily through his brain. He squeezed his eyes shut and watched the stars exploding behind his eyelids, swirling, hypnotic colours brightening and fading endlessly. Once he thought he saw the glimmer of blue eyes staring at him from the slideshow on his eyelids. _Tired…_

He passed out.

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A/N: That was a short one. It all culminates next chapter. Yay. Please review, even just to mark that you were here. Come on, you know you want to…


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing. (As if they'd ever find me and sue me…) 

A/N: Last one. Fluff warning. And school's out!! *dances around* Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. I posted them both today because I'm leaving on Saturday *coughJapancough* for two weeks. *evil grin* We'll see you all when I get back!

~*~

Chapter 6

Heero walked outside into the pouring rain, immediately glad for his jacket. He looked around him and saw footprints in the sand beyond the driveway, heading towards the water. He set off at a jog to follow the trail.

When he had gone four kilometres at the same enduring stride, he was starting to get worried. He was soaked even in his jacket, and the wet sand was reabsorbing the footprints in front of him. Sometimes it was hard to find the trail again in the driving rain. _I hope he's okay, _he thought apprehensively. _I feel_ _like this is all my fault._

Other people, even his fellow pilots, would say Heero was incapable of feeling at all, let alone guilt, but that wasn't true. He'd felt horrible when he killed the pacifists by accident. _I just choose to lock away my feelings during war. Along with my scruples and my sanity. If I have any sanity left,_ he thought ruefully. This was a different kind of feeling, though.

He looked up to see where the tracks led and was surprised to see a small, inert form lying on the sand several metres away. "Duo!" He ran over to the boy, who was lying on his back, unconscious. His body was cold and clammy, his clothes soaked through. 

"Shit. Duo, wake up. Wake up." Heero lightly slapped Duo's face to try and get a reaction. Nothing. With a sigh, Heero looked around him and picked up the fallen soldier, and with strength not apparent by looking at his slim frame, started to carry him back towards the house.

The mansion was looming over the wet sand dunes and Heero found himself getting very tired. Duo was cradled in his arms, Heero's jacket thrown over him to protect him from the wind and rain. _I'm almost there…_Heero was nearly staggering by now, cold, wet, and exhausted from the physical effort. He had just made up his mind to stop and rest next to a nearby rock when he saw three people walking towards him. 

Trowa took the burden and Heero was left to walk free, leaning on Wufei to keep from slumping to the ground. "Thanks," he mumbled, his lips refusing to work properly. It was cold. His bones felt like ice.

Wufei looked at Heero solemnly, for once without the usual haughtiness behind his eyes. "You're welcome. We should have come out with you."

"It's okay." Heero straightened up and went to hold the door open for Trowa, while Quatre bustled past to get Duo's room ready. Relena was nowhere to be found, but right then Heero didn't give a rat's ass if she was dead.

The three boys stripped Duo out of his wet clothes and put him in a tepid bath, which they eventually made hotter and hotter until colour came back to his face. He was still unconscious, but he looked better. After dressing Duo in fresh boxers they tucked him into bed under a pile of blankets and hot water bottles they'd commandeered from the mansion's few servants.

"Go on, I'll stay with him." Heero ushered the other boys out of the room.

Quatre looked at him worriedly. "Are you sure?"

Heero nodded. 

"But you still look worn out. I'll--" Quatre was cut off by Trowa's hand on his arm. Something in Trowa's eyes shut him up and he allowed himself to be led out of the room without further argument.

"Thank you, Trowa," Heero said softly. Stifling a yawn, he pulled out a chair and sat next to the bed, watching Duo quietly. Duo looked small and pale under the pile of blankets. The unconsciousness looked more like sleep now. At least he'd get some rest.

"I'm sorry, Duo," he whispered. The sun went down, washing the room with red and gold before it finally settled into darkness.

***

Heero was jolted awake in the early morning, unaware he'd been sleeping. He looked at the bed next to him. The blankets were messed up and Duo was half-uncovered. The beads of sweat on his chest stood out in the dim moonlight as he tossed and turned, muttering loudly to himself. His unbraided hair lay plastered to his forehead and chest.

Heero laid his hand on the other boy's forehead. It was burning hot. He got up quickly and found a wet cloth, bringing it back to press against Duo's head. Duo said something loud and unintelligible at the contact. 

"Shhhh. Be quiet. It's okay." Heero took both of the feverish pilot's flailing hands and rested them on the blankets. Another loud mutter. "Calm down. It'll be fine." But apparently whatever Duo was dreaming about wasn't fine. The muttering and flailing continued.

__

What do I do now? Heero thought in a panic. _I'm not cut out for this…_

A dim memory popped into his head, from his distant past. He saw the sides of a crib around him. His stomach was hurting and he started to cry. Soon a pair of warm, soft hands reached in and picked him up, rocking him in strong arms as a familiar female voice sang a lullaby. Almost immediately the pain had gone away.

Heero found himself back in the present. His eyes were moist. _Must be the humidity…_But he didn't know any lullabies. He looked down at Duo's flushed face and started to sing the first song that came into his head.

__

I know you can feel it

You're already there

Asleep underwater

Just screaming for air

I know you can feel it

You're already...

Don't you know we're freaks and creatures?

Wake up I can almost see the light

I think we're alone here, you and I

I think we're alone, left wondering why

I think we're alone here, you and I

I think we're alone in the universe tonight…

Duo calmed down and looked almost tranquil. After a minute, however, his eyelids fluttered and he woke up, eyes still shiny with fever. Heero stopped singing and stared at him, blushing slightly.

"Who told you to stop?" Duo mumbled. When the song began again he smiled and closed his eyes, drifting off for real this time.

*

Wufei woke up, dressed quickly, and made his way out of his room to go to breakfast. Halfway down the hall to the stairs, he stopped suddenly. What was that noise? Cautiously, he stalked up to the door that was the source of the sound and leaned his ear against it. His brow furrowed. Somebody was singing? 

Without warning, he threw open the door. As it swung back to hit the wall, he saw Heero sitting next to the bed, dark circles under his eyes, stroking Duo's hair lightly. Duo was sleeping. 

Wufei turned red and then white. _I'm a dead man. _"Ah…" was the only sound he could muster.

Heero looked up and glared. That was all Wufei needed. He was out the door again like a shot.

"Shut the door behind you…" echoed out of the room behind him, but he was gone, heading for the stairs. _Good job, Wufei,_ he thought ruefully,_ you've solved the mystery…_

*

Heero sighed and got up to shut the door himself. Five minutes later it was blown open again, this time by Relena. Her expression could have rivaled his death glare. 

"Why is he back inside my house?"

Heero looked up at her calmly, but his voice when he spoke was a knife edge. "He could have died outside."

"He threatened to kill me! Why should I put up with that?"

"Because if you don't, I'll do the job for him." It came out before he could stop it, but he couldn't say afterwards that he would have taken it back.

Relena went three shades of pale. Her mouth worked but no sound came out. 

Heero blinked at her, hiding his amusement. _It's been a long time since I threatened to kill her. I guess she thought I'd changed my mind._ He looked down at his comrade. "We probably won't be leaving until Tuesday."

"What gives you the right to say that?" Her voice had come back.

He gave her a half wattage glare. "He's not well enough to leave yet, and we won't go until he is. Are you going to turn us away, _your highness_?" 

He'd gotten her. "All right, you can stay until he's better. But after that he's out and never coming within ten feet of me again. Understand?" She didn't even wait for an answer before she swept regally out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"She must practice doing that."

Heero's eyes widened as he tore his gaze from the door to look down at Duo. "You're awake."

Duo gave him a weak smile. Then he looked concerned. "You look like hell. How long have you been sitting there?"

__

He doesn't remember the singing. "It doesn't matter. Do you feel better?"

"Some. I'm tired, though."

"You baka. I told you you'd get sick." 

"Yes, mother." Duo grinned and yawned. Within five minutes he was asleep again.

There was a knock on the door before it flew open this time. Trowa stood in the doorway. "Heero, come and get something to eat. And take a nap, or you'll get sick, too." He gestured behind him. "I have a maid here who'll look after Duo while you rest."

Heero was standing next to the bed. "All right. I'll be out in a minute."

When the door shut again he looked down at Duo, his eyes somewhat softer than the usual steely blue. "I'll be back later," he said quietly. Then, after a quick glance around him, he leaned over and kissed Duo's forehead.

Duo sighed and turned over as the door shut again.

*******************************************************************************************

A/N: …And feel more than free to use your imagination from there. I don't think I need to say that they'll live happily ever after. But I just did anyways. ^^ *I've* got warm fuzzies, I don't know about you. Was it too soft and fluffy? Please review. I love reviews. Jaa ne!


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